Geography & Environmental Studies, BA

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) Degree in Geography and Environmental Studies (GES) is to provide students with an understanding of the discipline of geography. This includes courses in physical, human, and cultural geography. Additionally, it offers a wide range of methods courses that introduce students to geographical information science and technologies(GIS&T). 

High-achieving students will have the opportunity to earn both a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a Master of Arts (MA) in Applied Geography in an accelerated format. Our Accelerated Master's Program (AMP) enables eligible UCCS Geography and Environmental Studies (GES) majors to complete both degrees in a streamlined manner within five+ years. 

GES features award-winning faculty with diverse interests that create high-impact learning opportunities for students in inclusive, small-group settings, both inside and outside the classroom. GES is one of UCCS’ ‘Unique and High-Need Programs.’ GES offers minors in GES, Geology, and Sustainability, and a certificate in GIScience. Program faculty offer a range of diverse research interests and run four on-campus labs.

The Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Geography and Environmental Studies requires the following:

• A minimum of 41 credit hours of GES coursework. At least 18 of those hours must be upper division (courses numbered 3000 or higher).
• A grade of C- or better in courses applied to the major.
• A minimum 2.0 GPA must be maintained in all GES course work.
• No more than 60 credit hours of GES course work may apply to the bachelor’s degree.

GES majors must take 41 credit hours of GES courses - 21 must be upper-division.

2024/2025 GES Program Coursework - UCCS Academic Catalog

Undergraduate Minors:

• GES
• Geology
• Sustainability
• Conservation, Parks, and Outdoor Recreation

Undergraduate Certificates:

• GIScience

Within the undergraduate program, students have the opportunity to participate in an internship program through the UCCS Office of Sustainability. This distinctive program offers students a semester-long service project internship, which proves to be both enriching and rewarding. To learn more, please visit the Internship page.

GES offers honors for students who have demonstrated high academic achievement. In order to be considered for departmental honors, a student must:

• have an overall CU GPA of 3.0 or better
• have a 3.5 or better GPA in GES courses
• have a research proposal approved by a GES faculty advisor and select a committee of two other faculty
• enroll in GES 4970 (Honors in Geography)
• complete an oral exam on a research project

The level of honors will be decided by committee after the completion of the requirements. Three levels of honors are available: Distinction, High Distinction, and Highest Distinction.

Accelerated Master’s Program in GES
The AMP in GES provides high-achieving students with the opportunity to earn both a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and a Master of Arts (MA) in Applied Geography in an accelerated format. This program allows eligible UCCS GES majors to complete both degrees in a streamlined manner, within five+ years. A key advantage of the AMP is the ability to enroll in up to nine credit hours of 5000-level courses that count toward the credit requirements for both the BA and MA programs. The program is designed for students to begin taking graduate courses while completing their undergraduate studies, offering a seamless transition between the two.

Admission to the AMP involves a two-stage process. In their junior year, students submit an AMP Intent application to the Graduate School and a Department AMP Application. During their senior year, they submit a simplified application to the Graduate School. Students must be officially admitted to the AMP before enrolling in dual-counted 5000-level GES courses.
 

To qualify, current UCCS GES majors must meet the following criteria:
● A minimum 3.5 overall GPA and at least a 3.50 GPA in the major.
● Completed the UCCS general education requirements or submitted a plan for completion.
● Completed at least 72 semester credit hours at UCCS.
● Transfer students must have completed at least 20 credit hours of Geography & Environmental Studies courses at UCCS and be a declared Geography & Environmental Studies major before applying to the Accelerated Program.

Students interested in the Accelerated Master’s Program (AMP) should schedule a meeting with the Graduate Director, Dr. Dao (tdao@uccs.edu) to discuss the program details and confirm their eligibility (refer to the criteria listed above).